It has been a busy summer in the Chickasaw Nation. I am posting a few pictures of some of the events that I attended. Hope you like what you see!

In May, I had the opportunity to take some newly graduate nurses from East Central University on a medical missions trip to Belize. One of the students, Ms. Tara Fall, is Chickasaw.  I have included a couple of pictures from this trip. In the future I will write a feature story on the trip. Tara is from the Tishomingo area and recently passed her boards for nursing, the NCLEX exam, and is now a Registered Nurse working at the Chickasaw Nation Health Center. Congratulations Tara!

In addition, I attended one of the ribbon cutting ceremonies for the opening of the new BIA, CDIB, Triball Registration building. I love these ribbon cutting events. As a tribe, we have experienced this quite enough to be experts. Along with Governor Anoatubby and Lt. Governor Keel, we all get a special pair of scissors to cut the red crimson ribbon that blocks the opening of the new facility. I hope that you will have a chance to visit this building when you come to Ada. It is on Lonnie Abbott Blvd near the Chickasaw Trading Post and Chickasaw Enterprises.

The next set of pictures is of a Chickasaw Community Council meeting that I attended in New Castle, Oklahoma. I was delighted to meet Ms. Chincy Ross, and hope that you will enjoy looking at the picture of this beautiful Chickasaw elder.  I have read in history books that Chickasaw women were known for their beauty. I’m sure you will agree with me when I say Ms. Ross proves that statement to be true. From her picture, I think that you can also tell she loves to have fun. It reminds me of the scripture in Proverbs that says, “a merry heart does good like a medicine.” Chincy is definitely good medicine.

You can tell by one of the pictures that the Newcastle Community Council meets in a facility that is used for training. This community council is very active. If you live in the area, you should attend. You can contact Ms. Sharon Nelson at sharon.nelson1@chickasaw.net for dates and times of any community council meeting.

As indicated in an earlier blog, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) came to Ada in June and brought a team down to help showcase the subject of science and math to Chickasaw and other area youth. Nearly 100 youth attended this one day workshop demonstrating some of the services offered by the National Library of Medicine.

As you can see from the pictures, students had the opportunity for hands on activity. A computer lab was also set up for the students that introduced them to the NLM web site. You too can visit the same resources at www.nlm.nih.gov or www.pubmed.nih.gov. 

In early August I attended a Chickasaw Gathering in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My son Wyas went with me, and I’d say we had an absolutely marvelous time. My mother was born in Pueblo Colorado and lived in Walsenbug Colorado as a young child. So I am always excited to visit the area, and also excited to visit with Chickasaws wherever I go. I have included several pictures in the Smilebox that covered this event. One picture was of the Cravat clan. They were all taking a family photo when I asked for the opportunity to include them in my blog. You will enjoy seeing the pictures from this event. We were also blessed to have Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate visit the Gathering as well. 

As always, I am hoping to hear from you. You can respond to my blog by simply signing on. I look forward to your comments a well as suggestions for future blogs. You can view pictures in the Smilebox titled “Summer 2008 in Pictures.” Thanks for taking a look

I just recently posted this article in the Chickasaw Times. My mom and her dear friend Lou decided that they liked this one, so I decided to go ahead and post it on my blog. You can find the original in the Chickasaw Times, July 2008 edition.  Hope you like this as much as they did.

 Tribal Leader’s Diabetes Committee met May 14-15, 2008 in Washington DC in our efforts to assure that there is continued funding for the many diabetes programs that are offered in Indian country. I am writing to encourage you to become an advocate in the fight against diabetes. Taking action in the fight against diabetes is easy. You can get involved with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in their efforts to increase funding for diabetic research and prevention programs. To get involved with the ADA, visit their web site at: http://advocacy.diabetes.org. This web site will direct you to the “Become a Diabetes Advocate” link.

Since the balanced Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was passed appropriating special moneys for diabetes in Indian country, much progress has been made. The TLDC strategitezed ways to advocate for this continued funding. The most important thing that we can do is tell our story and contact those who can make a difference. You are the ones that I am contacting. You can contact your congressional representatives in Washington D.C. and asked for the continued funding of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians.

What we are learning as we improve the health care for our tribes has become beneficial for all races with diabetes. Diabetes is a growing problem throughout the world, and especially among indigenous peoples. I recently had the opportunity to conduct education programs with the indigenous people of Belize, Toledo district, Central American. They are probably about 20 years behind where we are with their rates of diabetes. Be watching for a future article where I will feature this trip.

If I could give you an assignment, it would be to spread the awareness of diabetes and its complications to your family members so that we can help in halting this disease. Information is liberating. Action is imperative. Losing 10 pounds, staying active, and eating healthy food choices are three powerful steps that you can take toward preventing diabetes. For those diagnosed with diabetes, these three simple steps can also help in preventing complications. Join the team. Fight diabetes.

Today was a special day in the Chickasaw Nation, as is every day for that matter. We broke ground on the new Legislative and Judicial buildings. I called them offices, but I think that they will be much more than that. The growth that has taken place in the Legislative and Judicial branches of the Chickasaw Nation is second to none.

The new buildings will be constructed in Ada just North of the Chickasaw Nation Headquarters. We are a part of the Headquarters campus. Sherry Bellefeuille-Gordon, Chief Justice of the Chickasaw Nation addressed the crowd today pointing out that when she first was elected as a judge for the Nation, the judicial branch was located on the campus of Murray State College, Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The Judicial branch moved to Ada four years ago. Chief Bellefeuille-Gordon stated that more than 3,000 cases have been tried in our tribal courts.

Chairperseon Linda Briggs reflected on the process that the Legislature took in writing the Criminal Code for the Chickasaw Nation. I remember that as well. For about two years, we met in Sulphur at the Motor Lodge on Wednesday nights, going through the code line by line. Chairperson Briggs spoke of the growth and progress that has taken place in the Nation as we continue to work for the Chickasaw people.

Governor Anoatubby was in fine form as he addressed the crowd and our guests. Guests included several local officials, tribal employees, and tribal members. Our emcee, Deanna Hartly Kelso, was not deterred by the wind that whipped around the tent or the very long train whistle that caused us to take a short pause. I hope that you will look at the pictures that I took of this special event. The flag should give you an idea of just how windy it really was.

Actual dirt work will begin Monday, May 5, 2008. What that will do for me is give me one more building to take pictures of so that you can watch it grow. Join me as I photograph this historic event for you over the next year. You can watch from my point of view, and before you know it, we will be having another ribbon cutting.

 National Library of Medicine Visit

Staff from the National Library of Medicine (NLM)visited in Ada this week for the planning of a summer workshop that will be hosted by the Chickasaw Nation. George Franklin and Cynthia Gaines toured the Chickasaw Nation and helped the Division of Education in planning what I believe will be a very exciting workshop for junior high and high school students. The workshop will be held all day on June, 25, 2008.

The NLM has taken these workshops all over the United States in efforts to interest youth in careers in the sciences and medicine. Topics that they will cover include forensics, medicine, disaster planning toxicology and others. They will demonstrate such projects as Toxtown and the NLM project called Turning the Pages. You can visit Toxtown at http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov  for a preview. I have visited the Turning the Pages project at the National Library of Medicine in Washington D.C. You can get some information about this at the web site http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/ttp/books.htm. The web site has an excellent simulation of the project that lets you feel what it would be like to turn the pages of a book that is 200 years old. They will demonstrate this project with the Harry Potter series of books.

Cynthia and George actually loved Ada. They toured our capitol and bought a substantial amount of chocolate at Bedre. If you would be interested in your youth attending this summer institute, contact the Division of Education at 580-436-7711 to ask questions’. It would be a great way to spend a part of the summer. The National Library of Medicine has a great deal of interest in the health of Native Americans.  The following web link is actually to a link on the National Library of Medicine History of Medicine that chronicles the history of health care to Native Americans. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/if_you_knew_01.html As the world’s largest library, NLM works with eight other regional libraries and 5,000 libraries in medical schools, hospitals, and institutes to provide both specialized and general information in all aspects of the biological and medical sciences.

Mr. George Franklin is over the pow-wow program for the National Library of Medicine. George travels to different pow-wows in the United States. I am sure that he would love to come to any that you might be aware of in your area. The next link is for the National Library of Medicine American Indian Health page. http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/ . As always, I look forward to hearing from you. The blog is growing. I have had more than 1000 visits, though some may be the same person coming back. I encourage you to do the same.

Judy Goforth Parker, PhD, RN

Chickasaw Legislator, Pontotoc District, Seat 2